Respirator



May 6, 1941.

J. H. EMERSON RESPIRATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 6,1941. .J. H. EMERSON RESPIRATOR Filed Jan. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-SheetWIIIIIIIIIII Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nnsrma'ronJohn a. Emerson, Cambridge, Mass.

Application January 6, 1941, Serial No. 373,213

6 Claims.

This invention relates to artificial respirators for stimulatingbreathing in persons suffering from infantile paralysis, and moreparticularly to an improvement permitting the patients arms to be raisedand elbows to be bent while confined in the respirator, to therebyprevent the arm muscles and tendons from becoming permanently stretched,a condition which results when the arms remain extended at his sides fora prolonged Period of time.

This invention consists of an improvement upon a well-known type ofprior art artificial respirator which comprises a substantiallyhorizontal air-tight casing having a removable end wall to which the endof a sliding bed is attached. The removable end wall is provided with anopening through which the patients head may be passed as he reclinesupon the bed. When the removable end wall is moved toward the open endof the horizontal casing the bed slides into the casing through its openend and when the end wall is closed against the end of the casing, thepatients body reclines upon the bed and is enclosed in the casing fromhis feet up to his neck, and his head protrudes outwardly from the endwall of the casing. Alternate negative and positive or atmosphericpressures are created within the casing in time with the normalrespiration periods of the patient. Each period of negative pressurecreated within the casing causes the patients chest and lugs to expandwhereby fresh air is drawn into his lungs through his nose and month.Each period of positive or atmospheric pressure created within thecasing causes the patients chest to collapse whereby the gases containedin his lungs are expelled through his nose and mouth. Such a prior artrespirator is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,060,706.

Patients suffering from infantile paralysis remain confined in anartificial respirator continuously for periods ranging from a week tomany months. To permit moving the respirator from room to room of ahospital as well as to maintain a relatively small air space about thepatients body in the casing, it has been customary to make the casing ofa width and height permitting it to pass through an ordinary doorway.While confined in the casing of a respirator of that size it isnecessary for the patient to keep his arms extended along his sides onthe bed. Since he is thus confined for many days the tendons and musclesthat raise his arm at the shoulder and those that raise his forearmbecome stretched and when he is finally able to leave the respiratorthese muscles and tendons have frequently become permanently deformed orset in stretched position and he is unable to bend his elbows or raisehis arms to the maximum normal extent.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a detachableenlarged casing portion which may be quickly and efliciently installedand removed from any standard respirator of the class in question, andwhich provides a space of sumcient size to permit raising of thepatients arms and the bending of his elbows to the desired positionwhile he is confined in the respirator. Further objects are theprovision of such a detachable enlarged casing portion which may beopened while installed on the respirator and which is small enough topermit it to be carried while detached through a doorway of ordinarywidth and which is not so large as to increase the volume of theinterior air space of a respirator casing to such an extent that thepressure alternating means for the ordinary respirator becomesinadequate to create alternate negative and positive pressures of therequired amount in a respirator having the enlarged casing portioninstalled thereon.

Other objects relate to the construction and mode of operation, and willbe apparent from a consideration of the following description and theaccompanying drawings which exemplify one embodiment of the inventionchosen for the purposes of illustration.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view with one end broken away ofa respirator having my detachable enlarged casing portion installedthereon;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the respirator of Fig 1, inclosed position but with the bed removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the lines 33 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The respirator illustrated comprises the casing I0 and the removable endwall II to which the head end of the bed I! is attached. The bottom ofthe bed is attached to the rod l3 so that the bed is located above thisrod. The foot end of the bed is provided with a pair of rollers (notshown) which rest upon the inner wall of the casing Ill so that as theend wall H is moved toward the end of the casing (from the position ofFig. 1 to the closed position of Fig. 2) the bed slides into the casingl0 and the rollers at the foot end of the bed travel longitudinallyalong the wall of the casing. The rod i3 serves as a longitudinal axisabout which the bed may be rotated to different angular positions forcomfort of the patient.

The central hole provided in the end wall II is The casing I0 issupported by four legs I! each of which is provided with a caster l8.The removable end wall I l is supported by a pair of legs I! each ofwhich is provided with a caster'20. Thus the removableend wall II andits attached bed |2 may be easily moved toward and away from the openend of the casing it for insertion of the patient, and the casing withthe end wall in closed position may be easily moved from room to room ofthe hospital.

A flexible leather diaphragm 25 forms a closure for the foot endof thecasing and also forms part of the respirator pressure alternatingdevice. This diaphragm is operated by an operating arm 26 which has itsupper end pivotally secured at 21 to the rigid diaphragm extension 28and its lower end pivotally secured at 29 to the connecting rod 30. Theoperating arm is pivotally secured at 3| to the rigid extension member32 which is secured to the bottom of the casing Ill.

The conecting rod 30 is reciprocated back. and forth horizontally by anelectric motor (not shown) Such reciprocation causes reciprocation ofthe operating arm 26 about the pivot 3| thereby causing the diaphragm 25to be moved in and out of the end of the casing 0. When the diaphragm ismoved into the casing it creates positive pressure therein causing thepatients lugs to collapse and i'orcing'an exhalation. When the diaphragmis returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 it creates negative pressurein the casing causing the patients lungs to expand and therebv drawingfresh air into the lungs through '45 the patients nose and mouth,causing an inhalation. The speed of the motor is controllable so thatthe diaphragm may be reciprocated from twelve to sixty times per minute.depending upon the normal rate of respiration of the patient and uponthe ailliction for which he is being treated.

The enlarged casing 40 has an integral end wall 4| which is providedwith a transverse opening adapted to register with the open end of thecasing l0 and which is large enough to permit the bed to he slid freelytherethrough. As shown in Fig. 2, the flange 42, which surrounds thistransverse opening, fits loosely within the end of the casing l0. Aprojecting member 43 is secured to the casing i0 and a rubber sealingmember 44 extends around the end of the casing and is retained by themember 43 (see Fig. 3). Six clamp-su porting members 46 are provided andeach of th mproiects outwardly from the end wall Each of theclamp-supporting members 46 has an exteriorlv threaded outer end and isprovided with an interiorly threaded nut 41. Six clamp members 48 areprovided. one for each clamp-supporting member. The clamp 48 has atransverse perforation which is of such size that it will looselyreceive the end of the clamp-supporting member 46. When the clamp ismounted on the clamp-supporting member it may be rotated about saidmember to a position in which a portion of the clamp adjacent one of itsends abuts one side of the projecting member 43. when the nut 41 isthereafter screwed toward the end 4|, one end of the clamp is forcedinto engagement with the end 4| of the enlarged casing and a portionadjacent the other end of the clamp is forced into engagement with theprojecting member 48 thereby causing the end 4| to be drawn against theprotruding side of the sealing member 44, as shown in Fig. 3. When eachof the nuts 41 has been thus tightened the end wall 4| of the enlargedcasing is effectively supported at the end of the casing I0 and anairtight seal i effected between them.

An enlarged removable end wall 50 is detachably secured against theother end of the enlarged casing 40 by means of the clamps 5| which arerotatably supported on the bolts 52. These clamps are rotatable toengage the lugs 53, thereby forcing the inner face of the end wall 56against the rubber sealing disk 54 which is supported upon the peripheryof the casing 40 by the outstanding member 55 (see Fig. 2).

The enlarged end wall 50 is provided with an outstanding flange 60surrounding a transverse opening which extends through said end wall andwhich is large enough to permit the bed to be freely passedtherethrough. A rubber sealing member 6| is supported upon the flange60. Seven spaced clamp-supporting members 62 pro ject outwardly from theend wall 50 and each is provided with a nut 63 and a clamp 64 whichclamp is slidable longitudinally of the clampsupporting member 62. Theenlarged end wall 50 is clamped to the smaller end wall II by arrangingthe seven clamps 64 in the position shown in Fig. 4 and tightening thenuts 63, thereby forcing one end of each clamp into engage ment with theend wall 50 and a portion adjacent the other end'into engagement withthe outstanding portion 10 of the end wall II. This draws the portion I0of the end wall against the sealing member 6| causing said sealingmember to be slightly compressed between the portion 10 and the end wall50, as shown in Fig. 4.

Two hook I2 serve to support splints (not shown) which may be secured tothe patients forearms.

The enlarged casing 40 is supported on the legs 14 and casters 15. Thewidth of the enlarged casing 40 is small enough so that it may becarried edgewise through a door of ordinary size and so that whenattached to a respirator of ordinary size the enlarged interior airspace formed by the combined casings l0 and 4|] is not too large for thediaphragm 25 to properly function to create alternate negative andpositive pressures therein. As shown in Fig. 1, the interior of theenlarged casing 40 is amply large enough to permit the patients elbowsto be bent and his forearms to be elevated therein.

To attach the enlarged casing to any prior art respirator the removableend wall II and bed i2 are completely removed from the casing I0. Thefoot end of the bed is then passed through the opening in the enlargedend wall 50 and said end wall is then secured in air-tight positionagainst the projecting portion 10 of the end wall II by rotating theclamps 64 to the proper positions and tightening the nut 63 which causesthe clamps 64 to engage the portion I0 and the end wall 50. The end 4|of the casing 40 is then secured in air-tight position against the endof the casing III by rotating the clamps 48 to the proper position andtightening the nuts 41, thereby causing the clamps 48 to engage theprojecting member, 43 and the end wall ll. The end of the bed l2 'isthen slid into the casings l and I0 and the enlarged end wall 50 isclamped against the end of the casing 40 by means of the clamps 5| andlugs 53. This provides an airtight chamber enclosing the patients bodyup to his chin.

To remove the enlarged casing it is merely necessary to release the nuts41 and 63 and swing the clamps l8 and 64 out of engagement with themember 43 and I0, respectively. With the enlarged casing 40 removed, theend wall H of the respirator may be clamped against the end of thecasing l0 by clamps 80 which cooperate with lugs (not shown) similar tothe lugs 53 but located on the periphery of the end wall II.

The respirator with the enlarged casing detached is suitable for useupon patients suffering from drowning or asphyxiation who remain thereinfor periods of only a few hours. By virtue of this invention a hospitalhaving several prior art respirators may use any of them for patientswhose ailiiction requires treatment in the respirator for only a shortperiod of time, and whenever the occasion arises for treatment of apatient suffering" from infantile paralysis one of the same respiratorsmay be moved to his room and the enlarged casing quickly installedthereon to convert the respirator into one suitable for prolongedtreatment of the patient.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment oi, theinvention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for thepurpose of illustration and that various changes in shape, proportionand arrangement of parts and substitution of equivalent elements may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, asset forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casingwith one open end, a bed slidable into and out of the open end of saidcasing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, theimprovement which comprises an enlarged casing having an opening in eachend through each of which openings said bed may be passed, acompressible sealing member located exteriorly of one of said openingsof said enlarged casing, means for detachably holding one end of saidenlarged casing in engagement with a portion of said sealing member andthe open end of said respirator casing in engagement with anotherportion of said sealing member, another compressible sealing memberlocated exteriorly of the opening in the opposite end of said enlargedcasing, and means for detachably holding said removable respirator endwall in engagement with a portion of said latter sealing member and thesaid latter end of said enlarged casing in engagement with anotherportion of said sealing member whereby the enlarged casing is detachablysecured adjacent one end of the artificial respirator.

2. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casingwith one open end, a bed slidable into and out of the open end of saidcasing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, theimprovement which comprises an enlarged end' member having an openingthrough which the bed may be passed,

a compressible sealing member located exteriorly of said opening, meansfor detachably securing said removable end wall in engagement with aportion of said sealing member and said enlarged end member inengagement with another portion of said sealing member, an enlargedcasing having an opening at each end through each of which openings saidbed may be passed, a compressible sealing member located exteriorly ofone of saidopenings of said enlarged casing, means for detachablysecuring one end of said enlarged casing in engagement with a portion ofsaid latter sealing member and the. open end of the respirator casing inengagement with another portion of said sealing member, and means fordetachably securing said enlarged end member to the open end of saidenlarged casing whereby an openable enlarged casing is detachablysecured adjacent one end of the artificial respirator.

3. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casingwith one open end, a member projecting from the surface of said casingadjacent said open end and a bed slidable into and out of the open endof said casing, the improvement which comprises an enlarged casinghaving an opening in one end wall through which said bed may be passed,a clamp-supporting member associated with said end wall of the enlargedcasing and projecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted onsaid clampsupporting member, and means associated with saidclamp-supporting member upon actuation of which said clamp is releasablysecured in a .position wherein a portion of the clamp engages said endwall and another portion of the clamp engages said projecting member ofthe respirator casing, whereby said end wall of the enlarged casing isdetachably secured against the end of the respirator casing with theirrespective bed-receiving openings substantially in registration.

4. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casingwith one open end, a member projecting from the surf-ace of said casingadjacent said open end and a bed slidable into and out of the open endof said casing, the improvement which comprises an enlarged casinghaving an opening in one end wall through which said bed may be passed,a clamp-supporting member associated with said end wall of said enlargedcasing and projecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted onsaid clamp-supporting member, a compressible sealing member adjacent themember which projects from the surface of the respirator casing adjacentits open end, and means associated with said clamp-supporting memberupon actuation of which said clamp is releasably secured in a positionwherein a. portion of the clamp engages said member which projects fromthe respirator casing and holds the end wall of the enlarged casing inengagement with a portion of said sealing member whereby said enlargedcasing is detachably secured against the end of the respirator casingwith their respective bedreceiving openings substantially inregistration.

5. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casingwith one open end, a bed slidable into and out of the open end of saidcasing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, theimprovement which comprises an enlarged casing having an opening in oneend wall through which said bed may be passed, a clamp-supporting memberassociated with said end wall of the enlarged casing and projectingoutwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted on said clamp-supportingmember, and means associated with said clamp-supporting pirator with thebed passing through the bedreceiving opening of said end wall of theenlarged casing.

6. In an artificial respirator having a substantially horizontal casingwith one open end, a bed slid-able into and out of the open end of saidcasing, and a removable end wall attached to the end of said bed, theimprovement which com-- prises an enlarged casing having an opening inone end wall through which said bed may be passed, a clamp-supportingmember associated with saidend wall of the enlarged casing andprojecting outwardly therefrom, a clamp slidably mounted on saidclamp-supporting member, a compressible sealing member located betweensaid clamp-supporting member and the edge of the opening in said endwall of the enlarged casing and means associated with saidclamp-supporting member upon actuation of which said clamp is releasablysecured in a position wherein a portion of said clamp engages theremovable wall of the respirator casing and holds said wall inengagement with a portion of said sealing member whereby said wall isdetachably secured against said wall of the enlarged casing with the bedpassing through the bed-receiving opening of said end wall of theenlarged casing.

JOHN H. EMERSON.

